The Indian annexation of Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on 5 August 2019 has resulted in a persistent state of violence and oppression for the people of the region, according to the report of the Kashmir Institute of International Relations.
The annexation was accompanied by a media blackout, the deployment of 350,000 additional forces, and the arrest of all mainstream and pro-movement leadership. Since then, India has implemented various tactics to tighten its grip over IIOJK, including political engineering, demographic marginalization, socio-economic machinations, cultural invasion, media curbs, legal strangulation, and high-handedness/coercion. These efforts are aimed at permanently merging IIOJK into the Indian Union and erasing its disputed character.
In the political realm, India has increased the number of seats in Jammu and Valley, reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, and created nominated seats for Kashmiri Migrants and Kashmiri Pandits. However, all regional mainstream leaders have rejected these efforts.
In terms of socio-economic coercion, India has facilitated mainland businesses at the expense of local traders, extended mainland economic activities in IIOJK, established industrial units, signed MoUs with foreign companies, and facilitated the settlement of non-local laborers.
These actions have resulted in the loss of Rs 367 crores per day for two years during the lockdown, a high rate of unemployment among Kashmiri youth, and the destruction of the local economy.
In demographic engineering, India has implemented a Domicile Law, allowed outsiders to purchase property, empowered the army to seize land, and encouraged the settlement of non-locals. The government has also terminated over 1,000 government employees and denied basic human rights, such as passports and jobs, to over 60,000 families.
Media curbs have been implemented, with the administration deciding what constitutes “fake” or “anti-national” news, and strict monitoring of social media activities. Students have been prevented from studying abroad, especially in Pakistan and Turkiye. The Kashmir University Teachers Association and 15 other unions/associations have been banned, and pro-movement leaders and activists have been targeted with re-opened cases related to their activities.
The Indian actions in IIOJK have resulted in 707 total killings, 141 custodial killings/fake encounters, 2303 people who were tortured/critically injured, 18,354 arrests, 1101 cases of arson, 43 widowed women, 108 orphaned children, 126 cases of gang-rape/molestation, and 15,208 cases of cordon and search operations. These actions continue to escalate, with the international community remaining largely silent on the issue.
